unabridged
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of unabridged
Explanation
When a book is unabridged it's the whole thing, with nothing cut out. If you're seeking a definition for a very unusual word, you may need to look in an unabridged dictionary. To "abridge" something is to shorten it, so an unabridged edition has not been shortened. I can see that the short version of Shakespeare's works is easier to carry around, but if you want to enjoy every line, read the unabridged version. Unabridged is almost always used to describe books, but you can use it for spoken tales as well. You might not be so excited to hear the unabridged account of your sister's day at the mall.
Vocabulary lists containing unabridged
Becoming Naomi León
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What If It's Us
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Cat's Cradle
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Starting in the quarterfinals, the bee’s word panel can use any of the more than half a million words in Webster’s Unabridged dictionary, plus some geographical names that aren’t even listed in that volume.
From Seattle Times • May 29, 2024
Unabridged editions don’t end with his departure from the island but go on to relate Crusoe’s efforts to reclaim his plantation and the profits owed to him, as well as his eventual marriage in England.
From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2019
At Unabridged Books in Chicago, owner Ed Devereux says that the book has been placed in a more traditional setting, new nonfiction.
From Washington Times • Jan. 9, 2018
III. The English vocabulary is very extensive, as is shown by the fact that in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary there are nearly 100,000 words.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
Unabridged biographies on each band member, along with copies of their side projects and solo work.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
